"We won't let Talley's AFFCO split our family"

Press release: New Zealand Meat Workers Union

Friday 2 March, 2011 at 12:00 noon

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"We won't let Talley's AFFCO split our family"

Kerry Whare, his wife Rangi and two children Maraea and Kerry Junior all work at AFFCO Horotiu in Waikato.

The Talley's owned company gave Maraea, 21, and Kerry Junior, 22, lock out notices on Tuesday morning, but not their parents.

Mrs Whare, 53, is a skilled labourer and has worked at the site for 14 years. She says she feels like the company is trying to split their family.

"Talley's AFFCO only negotiated for 10 hours face-to-face with our union before trying to split up my family," she says. "We've always been solid as a family and we're not going to let it happen."

Mr Whare, 55, is a multi-skilled worker and has worked at the plant on and off for 25 years. He says he feels gutted that he drove into work yesterday while his kids were out of work.

"It's heart breaking driving into work while your kids are locked out," he says "I don't know how the company chose to only lock out some of the workers including my kids and not others, but I suspects it is to create divisions in the workplace," he says.

Mr and Mrs Whare went on strike for 24 hours from 5am this morning in solidarity with their children and will picket through to the afternoon.

Mrs Whare says the family was concerned about loosing a further two incomes, particularly since wages have been lower than usual due to low stock numbers and because they are paying off two cars.

"We've got no choice to strike in solidarity - you've got to stand with your kids", she says.

Kerry junior says he always wanted to be like his dad and work in AFFCO which the main employer in Ngarawahia.

"I've worked hard for the company and I feel like I've been stood on and spat out," he says. "I feel discriminated against."

Maraea, 21, is a labourer and has worked at the plant for four years. She says she is "dead broke" because she just had her 21st and the lockout will make things worse.

"I love my job and its sucks that I cant come back in because I'm locked out," she says. "I'd rather be at work, but it was their decision and as far as I'm concerned I've done nothing wrong."

Kerry Junior, 22, is a cutter and has worked at the plant for six years. He say they have little prospect for work in Ngarawahia, a small struggle town in rural Waikato with few jobs.

"We haven't even been told when we can go back to work," he says. "If we could find any jobs here, they're not going to employ us because they wouldn't know when we'd go back to AFFCO," he said.

Mrs Whare says she always instilled in her kids that the only way they get anywhere is to work hard and earn a decent wage.

"What sort of message is Talley's AFFCO giving to our kids by locking them out?," she says. "We just want the company to lift the lockout and let our kids go back to work," she says.

The Whare family has worked at the meat processing plant for a combined 49 years and have other family at the plant.

The Whare's uncle, Dan Solomon, was a union member at Horotiu and passed away last night. His hirst stopped opposite the picket this morning in his honour.

ENDS

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